


Chilled

by elbatross



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Canon Disabled Character, Drunk Driving, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Panic Attacks, Panicking Charles, Paralysis, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Requited Love, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Sexual Tension, carrying kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-18
Updated: 2013-04-18
Packaged: 2017-12-08 20:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elbatross/pseuds/elbatross
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles Xavier is the most popular senior around his college. He's got everything: looks, grades, and all the friends he'll ever need to ensure that for the rest of his days his bed will never be cold and that he'll never be lonely. Erik is the opposite, intriguing enough to tempt Charles into flirting with him without success. In the months to follow, Charles is forced to cope with a debilitating spinal cord injury after an accident that drives his friends away and causes him pain. The only thing to keep him going and helps him ignore the chills caused by his spinal nerve damage are the memories of Erik's warm hand placing gift in his, but even that can only do so much until Erik faces the fact that he wants to see Charles again. </p><p>Based on a prompt posted on tumblr by <a href="http://ikeracity.tumblr.com/post/46132845445/college-au-idea-that-i-dont-have-time-to-write">ikeracity</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ikeracity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikeracity/gifts).



> The original tumblr prompt is by [ikeracity](http://ikeracity.tumblr.com/post/46132845445/college-au-idea-that-i-dont-have-time-to-write), who wanted a college AU with popular!Charles becoming paralyzed after meeting a very disinterested and lonely Erik, then the two of them getting together after Charles is left by everyone else. For the record, Charles has a T9 incomplete spinal injury in this fic, mostly for the symptoms and to fill the part of the prompt that asks the he is injured from the waist down.

Nobody was really sure who'd invited Erik Lehnsherr to this particular party, or why he'd chosen to come, but it was clear that Charles Xavier was practically panting for his attention.

Panting might have been an overstatement, but anyone could see that he was clearly very interested in Lehnsherr. Everyone who had class with the man could have informed Charles that he wasn't going to be the sort of guy you'd want to be friends with, but even that probably wouldn't have deterred Charles from trying. So everyone kept a close watch on them the entire night, ready to pick up the pieces if Erik managed to tear him to shreds with a broken beer bottle later.

Charles, however, wasn't so worried. To start, he'd never even met Erik before that night. Never saw him at parties, or pep rallies, or games that the school held, nor had he never seen him while campaigning for class president. Erik didn't show up at bars after exams to have a celebratory pint or six and he didn't frequent the libraries for resources any time prior to them either. He was a curiosity to Charles, someone brand new to learn about that had somehow evaded Charles's radar for all this time. Not to mention that he was handsome, even with a little stubble on his face and the slightly haggard look he was starting to wear. Charles had introduced himself as usual, offering a bottle to Erik with a sweet smile and bright eyes.

"Name's Charles Xavier. I study genetics, and might I be the first to say that your genes are stunning. Might I be allowed to unzip them so I can get a better study?" Erik rolled his eyes and snorted through his nose, taking the bottle before heading straight for the sorority's garden. He groaned when Charles followed. "I asked around about you. My friend Hank says that you're part of the engineering department and that he's seen you tinkering about with crafting things out of metal before. Is that true?"

"If I tell you yes, will you go away?" He pulled the bottle open with a makeshift opener on his keychain, probably hand made from what Charles could tell. He was fascinated and amused that it was in the shape of a shark. The man might have had a decent sense of humor, thank goodness. "And I already know who you are. Can't go a day without hearing your damn name whispered somewhere by somebody."

"Oh, so you have heard of me, what a relief! It's a bit of a shame, though, I was rather hoping you hadn't so we could be on the same level and get to know each other. Still, I don't know your name." He offered up his bottle before Erik could put his keys away, the man reluctantly prying the cap off with the little metal shark. Charles really wanted one of those now.

"...Lehnsherr. Erik Lehnsherr. Engineering. I've opened your beer, told you my name and major, and talked to you. Will you go away now?"

"Sorry, afraid not," he replied. He gulped down his drink, tipping his head back as he watched Erik from the corner of his eye to check if he was staring. Erik kept his eyes on his bottle as he peeled the label off. Charles mentally cursed. "Did you make that shark yourself? It's pretty handy, hm?" Just as he reached for it, Erik scooted away and started to work it off the ring, handing it over to Charles. The metal was warm from being clasped in his large hands, Charles noted as he looked it over.

"Keep it, yours now." Erik attempted to walk away once again as Charles was occupied with the bottle opener, but was forced to groan when footsteps trailed behind him.

"This is actually very nicely done, you know. Short fin mako? You've done a really nice job on the gills." The man trotted up beside him, still babbling just to fill the silence as far as Erik was concerned. "Are sharks your favorite animal? I'll admit that I was fond of bears in my younger years, but once I started my studies I found myself becoming more appreciative of mice and rats-"

"It's a shark because that's what people say I look like when I try to smile." Erik saw this as his chance to finally get Charles to leave him be so he could enjoy his free alcohol for the night. He felt a bubble of almost sadistic pleasure when Charles's eyes twinkled.

"Surely it can't be that bad, Erik," he reassured. "I bet it's not that severe." Charles flinched only slightly when Erik broke out into his biggest smile, every straight and long tooth bared for Charles to examine. Things were looking good for Erik up until Charles burst into laughter, then he dropped the smile with a concerned, dejected furrow of brows.

"Why are you laughing? You're supposed to be turning heel and running for the hills, I don't understand why you're giggling like a schoolboy." Charles caught his breath long enough to reply.

"Oh, my friend, that is indeed one of the most horrifying smiles I've ever seen. I almost did run off, you know, but then-," Charles started to laugh again, to Erik's dismay.

"Then what?!"

"Your nose. It does the most adorable little scrunch, ruins the whole effect. But it does indeed look shark-like, I'll give you that." He calmed enough to have another drink, eyeing Erik the whole time. "And when you look disgruntled, you're still charming. Really, Erik, where have you been hiding all this time?"

"Away from you." Erik glanced around, finding a bench across the yard. He just wanted to sit and finish his drink at this point just so he could go back to his dorm and away from the school's most beloved student who had taken a strange interest in him. There was nothing special about Erik that should even have piqued Charles's attention except for the fact that he was so unspectacular that he'd never shown his face anywhere. If he'd just shown up to the orientation expos and let the man get a look at him just once, maybe he wouldn't have been pestering him now. As he once again tried to retreat to the bench, Charles followed and chattered.

"Where are you from? You speak like you learned English somewhere other than here."

"So do you."

"Well, I'm just as American and the other students here, save for the matter of a duel citizenship. My mother is English, so I grew up there for a few years of my childhood. What about you?" Charles sat down before Erik could, patting the seat next to him. There was no way that he was going to leave Erik alone before he left, so he gave in to amuse the man.

"Grew up in Germany, learned some of my English in Ireland when my parents decided that we were moving around. I ended up coming here some years ago after the accent had already stuck."

"It's different. I like it." He grinned at Erik again. "I really like your mutated MCR-1 gene too. You know, auburn hair? Goes nice with that ginger scruff of yours. Mutation is a very interesting phenomena, you know, and I find yours to be very groovy. You have more than one, like your eyes. What color do you tell people they are?"

"They don't usually look at my eyes long enough to notice. People don't look me in the eye when they speak, maybe you should take the hint." Charles leaned on his shoulder, taking another drink.

"You know, I'd almost guess grey. Or maybe you're one of those people with a central heterochromia which makes it much harder to decide what color they are. I could write papers solely about your eyes, I think." Now Erik was alarmed, chugging down his drink as fast as he could possibly manage. He knew the reputations that followed Charles's sparkling records and all the talk of how easy it was for him to lure someone into his bed. Erik didn't want to be another notch in his belt or another one of Charles's brainless followers that sang his praises for even the slightest thing. He huffed when his drink was finished, getting up to find a bin to put is bottle in. "Where are you off to now?"

"Home. I've had my fill of nightlife for a lifetime."

"May I walk you home?"

"No." Erik barely gave him time to protest, relieved to find a container for all the beer bottles near the door of the sorority house. "If we somehow manage to meet again, maybe then I'll give you the time of day, but until then you're more of a bother than a friend. Goodbye, Xavier."

Charles wasn't used to being rejected so harshly. It was almost refreshing, in fact. Erik was easily the most interesting person in the school just because he was so mysterious and unwilling to share everything about himself without Charles constantly prodding at him, and even then he would do anything to get away. He had his own charms about him that he was ready to keep secret unless fate gave them the chance to meet again. There was hope, albeit just a sliver, but Erik was ready to give him a chance if Charles could find a way to persuade him to give up his evasion.

"Call me Charles, please," he stopped Erik's hand, not at all surprised to find it was as warm as the bottle opener had hinted at. "That way, if we do meet again, we'll just be that much closer to being better acquainted. It really was nice to meet you, Erik, and even if you thought my attempts at flirting seemed abysmal, I really did mean everything I said."

"I'm sure," he blandly retorted, pitching his bottle into the container. "Goodnight, Charles. Don't get so drunk that someone else will have to remind you what your name is." Erik made his way down the sidewalk on his long walk back to his dorm, Charles's chuckling sticking to him the same way its owner had the whole night. While the man might have been a menace, he wasn't without his appeals.

Erik would never admit that the thought of Charles kept him up that night. He wouldn't tell anyone that he almost fell into the trap of letting Xavier get under his skin and get to know him, or how he was drawn to bright and interested eyes that roamed over his body and admired his craft with genuine delight. No, he'd never admit to that, because Charles Xavier was allowed to cloud his thoughts for one night and after that he would forget everything about him. The next morning, Erik got up as usual and headed to his favorite diner to eat his usual Sunday morning breakfast before heading into town to visit the little second hand bookstore he frequented. He avoided any place that might have looked like somewhere Charles Xavier would frequent and people who even slightly resembled the man. People whispered about him for a while, tacking his name on to Charles's for nearly a week until they quieted.

After that, Erik went about his life as he had before Charles Xavier tried to make himself a part of it. Things were average, Erik faded into obscurity, and he could tune out all talk that didn't involve his studies for the next few months. Parties came and went without him in attendance, just as they had before, and he didn't even mind that. He could do without the noise and possibly of arrest if they got too rowdy.

Then there was the night when he heard the screech of tires on the pavement just outside his building, the crash of metal and shattering of glass ringing out in the quiet. He woke suddenly, peeking out the window with bleary eyes, and just as he was ready to fall back into bed a woman screamed and cried out the one name he was hoping he'd never have to hear again until graduation.

_"CHARLES!"_


	2. Chapter 2

Charles asked for his keys when he finally woke. The crowd around him pressed in closer to endlessly question him, leaving him feeling claustrophobic and helpless. He ached all over, or at least where he could feel, but everything narrowed down to the one question on his mind.

"Wh're's my keys?" Nobody would answer him unless it was with another question. It was like they didn't care about what was really important. Annoyed, Charles asked again. "Keys? Where-" The noise grew louder and more confused until he finally pulled the mask from his face, his face flushing red with anger. "Where are my fucking keys? I won't answer anyone until you tell me where they are!" Someone pushed through the crowd to hand him exactly what he'd wanted. He fumbled with them until he felt the cool etching of the shark beneath the pads of his fingers as his minder's hand closed around his wrist.

"There you go. Everyone shut up and get out of here for a while, my brother needs his rest and you aren't helping." His visitors shuffled out, finally freeing up a seat for the woman to take a seat beside his bed. Charles smiled and let his keys fall to his lap, hardly noticing that he couldn't feel their impact.

"Thank you, Raven. You really didn't have to stay the night and skip class today, I think I should be just fine." Her frown only made him want to try to reassure her that he'd do well on his own, but her tears stopped him.

"Charles, you've been out for nearly a week now. It's Saturday." She covered her face with her free hand. "There was blood everywhere and the driver of the car tried to take off but his car wouldn't start. Almost the whole neighborhood came out before the ambulance arrived. I thought you were _dead_ , Charles. We all did." He tugged Raven closer to the bed, trying to make room for her. His body wouldn't cooperate, which only made Raven's crying worse.

"Raven, shh, I'm alright. Look, I'm alive, maybe a little too drugged up seeing as I can't feel everything yet, but you know how I get when I'm on painkillers." Raven's crying ceased just long enough for her to slap Charles's leg, jolting his body with spasms of pain. He still couldn't feel his legs. "Ow! Raven, what are you doing?"

"Did you feel that?"

"Of course I did, you hit me! Did you expect me not to feel it?"

"Think hard about where you felt it, Charles. Really THINK for once." She pinched his thigh this time, hard enough that he was sure there might be a mark later, but he felt nothing. He remembered his keys, picking them up and dropping them into his lap. No sensation followed.

"I-I'm sure it's just a side effect of the medication, surely." His heart rate started to elevate as he tried to shuffle in the bed, managing only to pull at the stitches in his back until tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. Raven stopped him before he did too much damage, helping him move so she could finally sit beside him in bed.

"There was a lot of damage to your spine," she started, shifting so she could pillow her brother's head in her lap. "They had to wait for the swelling to go down some before they could do any intensive work, and you of all people know how delicate nerves can be once they're damaged." Charles listened carefully, trying to find the truth that Raven was hiding in her words. "You looked pretty bad too. The lawyers came in to take pictures while you were sleeping so I'm sure you'll get to see those soon, and there are some on my phone but...I'm really glad you aren't dead." Raven had taken to stroking Charles's head as she spoke, although it seemed to be more for her own comfort rather than his. Charles realized at that moment that his hair had been mostly shaved off, probably to make sure every shard of glass and shrapnel could be taken out of his scalp. He started to feel cold with his newfound loss.

"I am too," he murmured, grasping at the silver shark. Something about it was comforting.

"You were holding onto those when they brought you here. They said it was a miracle that your keys made it out unscathed and without them cutting into your palms. I made sure to keep them safe and checked your apartment every day." Charles hummed in gratitude.

"So if I'm not dead, why are you crying? Why can't I feel my legs? By now I've figured out that it isn't the drugs, so what _is_ the cause?" She paused and muttered something out. "Raven, speak up. Tell me."

"You're not going to like it."

"I don't like any of this situation, just say it."

"You're most likely not going to be able to walk again. Like I said, something with your nerves healing up. Maybe you'll get a little feeling back, the doctors said, but that's all. Mom's not answering any of my calls and at this point I don't know what else to do, but I've left her a couple of messages." Her fingers stilled on his head, the sweat from them starting to chill Charles's head even more.

"...then it's a good thing my flat's on the ground level," he weakly jested. Raven sniffled, then pinched his arm.

"Now isn't the time to be funny. You're supposed to get angry or be sad or something."

"What good would any of that do at this point? It's not going to fix my legs." His legs now seemed nonexistent disconnected dead weight that hindered him as he tried to move them without any progress. "Am I going to need a nurse or someone to help me with, er, bathroom matters?" Charles wrinkled his nose at the thought of needing assistance, which actually succeeded in making Raven smile, but just barely.

"Probably not, they said. You should be all good for that. I didn't really ask about other functions because it's none of my business, but-"

"Alright, yes, I think I understand now. I'm in the hospital recovering from a spine injury, this isn't the time to discuss my sex life with my little sister." That would have to be a worry for another day, he decided, once again pawing at his keychain. "Raven, would you be a dear and go see if someone has a hat I could wear? It's terribly chilly in here and I'm without my prized locks."

"I shouldn't really be surprised that you're more upset about losing your hair than your legs at this point. You're too doped up to even care." Her words thankfully lacked the bitterness it would require for Charles to feel properly offended, and she slid out of the hospital bed after a some maneuvering. Only once she deemed that there was a sufficient amount of pillows tucked under Charles's head did she actually go in search of a hat.

Charles leaned as much as he could to get a good look out the door, found that no one was paying much attention to him, and eased the sheets over his head. He lifted his gown to stare at his legs, prodding at his thighs until they started to bruise, waiting for any sensation to flare up be it pain or cold.

Nothing.

His keys fell to the floor and clacked against the tile when he pulled himself together to curl up as tightly as possible. The strain on his back made him hiss, but past a certain point he was unable to feel it. He yearned to feel something, anything, or to wake and learn that this was all just a bad fever dream he was having as a result of the accident. Maybe he was just in a coma, he thought, still responsive to the sounds of the outside world while filling in all other conversation with his thoughts. He couldn't feel his legs because of the drugs, he reasoned, and when he woke things would be back to normal. If this was just a coma, he'd be able to have his keys in hand just by willing it, and if he concentrated hard enough he'd just have the shark. Charles hoped and wished and tried his best to make the shark materialize into his hand.

Still nothing. The pain was still there. His legs were still unresponsive, head still cold, and he was fully awake.

His keys were still on the floor. The shark was on his keys. He had to have his shark. Without a second thought, Charles worked himself off of the bed with a thump and crawled towards his keys, pulling out his IV in the process and setting off most of his machines. A nurse rushed in and upon spotting him on the floor helped him back into bed, scolding him for trying to leave in his condition. Raven returned with a beanie belonging to one of the guys who'd come to visit Charles, catching the tail end of the lecture before starting up one of her own.

"You know you can't be out of your bed, Charles! What if you ripped your stitches and damaged something else in the process? What's so important that you needed to throw yourself onto the floor?" Charles pulled the hat onto his head and lifted his keys to show her the shark.

"It sounds stupid, but I feel a little more grounded with it near me. I really don't need the rest of the keys right now, but I don't want to lose it." It clinked with the other metal on the ring as he worked to get it loose. Raven pulled it away from Charles's clumsy fingers to take it off for him, handing over the worn bottle opener.

"I'll find you a chain or something to put it on later, and if they allow it I'll bring you a root beer or something so you can actually have an excuse for keeping it around. You're not going to be drinking anything alcoholic for a while." Charles wrinkled his nose at the thought of alcohol.

"I don't think I'll want any for a while." He curled his hand around his charm. "Thank you, Raven. I think I'm feeling much better now. I'm still somewhat tired, so I might have a rest, but if anyone else wants to come in when I wake then I'd be happy to see them."

"Alright. Sleep well, Charles." She cupped his cheek with her hand, kissing his forehead. "I'm still really glad you're okay." He yawned once, chuckling softly.

"Sure you didn't bump your head during the accident? Normally you'd be teasing me."

"You ass," Raven snorted. Their foreheads touched for a moment as Charles let his eyes close, then he started to doze off. Even while beneath the bed sheets and extra blanket his sister laid over him as he started to fall asleep, he felt colder than he'd ever been in his life.

\---

Week one meant that Charles saw many visitors and received many presents. Teachers brought him cards and gave him extensions on his papers, and the dean had personally made a trip to sit with him for an afternoon to have lunch and discussion. Students came by with flowers, stuffed animals, and enough food to feed an army nearly every day. Hank and Raven had taken to sharing most of it among the hundreds and thousands of people who made their way to his room every day, and what they couldn't eat was donated to those who were far more in need than one young man holed up in a hospital. Charles was the most visited patient in the entire building and just to handle the number of visitors required a written schedule.

He liked the attention for the most part. People were still as interested in him as he was in their lives, and they always had something to tell him. Things stayed fresh even if he never left his room, and for now things still seemed normal. As he was still healing, the hospital staff saw no reason to face him with a wheelchair just yet, meaning that nobody had to know the extent of his injuries for just a little longer. Whenever Raven's sorority sisters invited him to their next pool party or the boys on the football team assured him that he'd still be allowed to come around and join in their practice matches, he put on his brightest smile and thanked them. Maybe if they didn't know, he could pretend for a while that things would be alright. They all came around to see him and lavish him with their attention and affection, so who was Charles to dash their hopes? He'd never let them down before and now wasn't the time to stop, because stopping would mean that he wouldn't be relevant any longer. People were his passion. Without people around, all those different minds opening up to him to spill their lovely thoughts and perspectives, his own existence would be meaningless.

He let them chatter about their own problems as if his were insubstantial, or feed him chocolates like he was a baby as they told him how handsome he still was without hair, or stroke his leg in hopes of arousing him. To the first, he nodded and smiled and chattered along. To the second, he suckled on lingering fingertips until they were both pink in the face. The third was when he put on the charms and murmured, "That's lovely, darling, but I hope you know that this medication has me feeling so dizzy most days that I can't even try to get it up without it being an effort. How about a kiss instead." Charles started to count the kisses like sheep when he went to bed at night, each unique on their own but all part of the same pitying and desperate flock. Better to be able to have plenty to count than none to count at all, he reminded himself.

By week two, Charles was dreading going home. Raven had taken to wheeling him around the hospital once he was given the okay to leave his bed, but only after he'd swallowed down his morning pain medication. Charles would crush the cup before handing it back every time, still trying to keep it in his head that he wasn't was weak as he felt. As an extra precaution, he made everyone vacate the room whenever he needed help getting into his chair, afraid to let them see how weak he'd become just in case they were deterred from hanging around. The illusion was preserved if they only had to see him in the chair in his current setting, just a temporary fix for his permanent problem. If he could just stay at the hospital forever, no one would have to know he wasn't at his former glory anymore.

They brought his discharge paperwork twice a day for three days straight before Raven finally made him stop pretending to sleep so he could sign them. She brought him a change of clothes later in the day and stepped out to call Hank to help them get him home while one of the nurses assisted Charles. He was even more irritable then than he was when he first woke, mostly because they had been prodding at him all day in preparation for his homecoming. The worst in his mind was learning to use a catheter, for while he could control some of his own functions, that seemed to be the one he lacked.

"Mister Xavier, you especially have to be careful for now when you insert your catheter. It isn't difficult, but your risk of harming yourself and not even knowing it is very high right now because you won't feel it. Because you have an incomplete spinal injury, you might regain some sensation with time, but for now it'd be best to go slow." The nurse packed a few into the bag that Charles's clothes had been in, handing it over to him when finished. "Looks like you're all set, then."

"Yes, thank you," Charles grumbled, letting himself be pushed into the lobby to wait for the car. The remaining few students who'd come to see him crowded his chair, offering to help him walk to the car if he needed. He shook his head, refusing their assistance. "Thank you for the offer, but that won't be necessary or possible." Charles shifted in his chair, legs unresponsive as he sat up straighter. When would Raven be back to get him? He didn't want to be around when they realized what was wrong, why he wouldn't need their help, why he had to be loaded up into a vehicle rather than just getting in on his own. Apprehension urged him into an attempt to push himself to the door, which he managed well enough to capture Hank's attention outside. Relief washed through him as his sister and friend helped him escape his admirers and return to his little flat to get used to his new life. It was Hank who asked him if he'd like to have some alterations done to his house when they got him in.

"It's just, everything here might be hard to reach for a while, and you're going to have a hard time hoisting yourself up until you gain more strength in your upper body," he explained. "Unless you'd like Raven or myself to move in with you and help out for a while."

"No," Charles quickly retorted, words sharper than he'd meant for them to be. His home was draftier than he'd remembered it being, causing him to shiver. He'd have to remember to wear a heavier jumper or keep the heat up. "I can do fine for myself, and I'm sure there'll be plenty of people around to help me if I need it. They'll be bursting through the doors to get in once they hear I'm finally home, and there'll be more than enough who'll want to help me to bed like usual. There might be fights over who gets to make sure I'm fine, so I won't need a live in nanny like some child to help me, thank you." He rolled himself across the living room, thankful for once that he'd had the sense to pick a place with wooden floors. "And besides, where would I stay while construction was going on? The hallway is more than wide enough to accommodate my chair and the bathroom is big enough for every addition that will be installed. I hardly cook as it is, so even the kitchen won't be a problem. You're worrying for all the wrong reasons, Hank."

"He's worried because we know you, Charles." Raven brought him a blanket from the cupboard, draping it over his shoulders. "You might end up throwing yourself out of bed like you did at the hospital trying to reach one of your books while no one is here and have to lie there for hours before anyone can come help you. Just let someone be around for a little while before you try to do it on your own." He wanted to get angry, but she did have a point.

"Like I said, people _will_ be around. You don't need to worry so much, and if you want you can come and check on me every day and help me to a couple of my classes. Just because things are different doesn't mean they're that different. You'll see." He snuggled under his blanket. "Everyone will see. I'm the same Charles I've always been, just shorter and on wheels. Still just as fun as the Old Charles, just, you know, fun sized." He chuckled to himself. Hank and Raven looked to one another and frowned. Charles did his best to ignore that.

\---

For a few months, his flat was always occupied by one helpful acquaintance or another, warming the bed or preparing meals for Charles. There was always someone to talk to, someone to eat with, and someone to party with. He'd attempted to hold a party in his home a couple of times to get everyone back into the spirit of things, but there were always a few snags in the later hours or morning when Charles needed the bathroom. Not everyone was as respectful of his medical equipment as his sister, a couple of people even trying to use his spare catheters for fancy straws. He was only thankful that they'd attempted to use the clean ones, remembering to hide any other important medications and supplies elsewhere. Charles quickly gave up on being a host and tried to get out and attend events instead.

To his disappointment, they weren't as fun as he'd remembered. Not every venue was wheelchair accessible, nor were their doorways and halls wide enough for him to be as mobile as he would have liked to be. That meant people had to carry him sometimes, and being carried became the one thing Charles despised. When people carried him, they got it into their heads that he either needed to be cradled, thrown over their shoulder, for some inexplicable reason riding on their shoulders. That was the worst, unable to balance with his hips and bouncing just enough to set off the unbearable flares that sometimes rose from the part of his back that he could still feel. He'd called Hank or Raven more than once to take him home, leaving him curled up in the back seat sore and shivering only to be tucked into bed with a glass of water and painkillers all alone.

Those nights were the worst. He hurt, he raged, he cried himself to sleep and woke with gummy eyes in just enough time to pull himself out of bed and get ready for class. By then, it was easier to shift himself into his chair, but after getting so used to having others help with his lower half dressing was always a much slower task to do on his own. Raven had helped out more than once, but Charles vowed to her that he'd learn how to get the job done by himself to spare her from seeing anything she'd rather not. His books were always next, never straying from the couch or from beside his bed so he'd never have to look for them and always packed into his sturdy leather bag to rest on his lap as he wheeled himself to his classes. Charles's arms were tired by the days end, eventually giving in to the multitudes who wanted to spoil and coddle "poor, tired Charles" and push him home to look like they were doing a favor for the unfortunate.

Oh, how he _hated_ that, and by extension all the people he once called his friends. The pity radiated off them in waves whenever he was near, thick enough to choke on. Every shiver and groan of pain got them to their feet to coo at him, disrupting barely enjoyable outings for everyone involved. Soon, the masses too tired of dealing with Charles's pain and saw him as a burden in the same way he felt he was.

Four months in, he was all alone. Raven came by as often as she could, and Hank squeezed him in to the best of his abilities when he wasn't doing is own work, but the flat was as empty as it was when Charles had returned from the hospital. He'd been abandoned, and so it began to set in for him that this was all his life might ever be, alone in his chair while constantly in pain and cold. Worst of all, he'd done everything he could to prevent this from happening to the best of his abilities. He'd always gotten rides home from sober friends or walked with someone who was in better shape than he was. Charles was careful, but even being careful couldn't help when a careless professor had decided to get behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol. Somehow, the man was even _suspended with pay_ , which even his lawyers found to be unbelievable. He should pay for ruining Charles's life by having his life run into the ground. _He_ wasn't the one who had to spend the rest of his life confined to a chair and popping pills just to get through the day. The man still had his freedom! He still had social standing in some respects! Charles was nothing now, or at least he felt that way.

Four months into his recovery, Charles Xavier buried himself into his studies. If he couldn't keep his social standing, he was going to keep his academic record as outstanding as possible. People might be willing to look past the chair then, even if he never could.


	3. Chapter 3

Charles was going stir crazy. He had his classes and bad television to occupy his time, and he was able to care for himself after a few months of this paralysis business, but it was still unbearable. Things would just get him so worked up sometimes, maybe the faucet that he couldn't quite reach without leaning up dripping because he was in too much pain to stretch or his wheel once again catching on the corner of his dresser when he tried to move around his room. If there was just someone there to turn things off when he couldn't bother to or move something so he wouldn't have to worry anymore and people to talk to that weren't his sister, he would be better off.

Or maybe he didn't need anyone, because hell, he'd learned the hard way that nobody could be trusted anymore. God forbid that he got sick _and_ was paralyzed. One ailment was already too much for anyone to want to handle, so certainly they wouldn't want to help him through a minor illness on top of his current condition, he figured. All of his fuming was making him thirsty, and when Charles was upset and thirsty only coffee or tea would do. Everything but the water was always stored within reach just in case it was a particularly bad day of flare ups, but Charles decided that he could make do with one instance of pulling himself out of his chair if the payoff would be something to calm his nerves.

"There's a boy, Charlie. That's it, you've got it." Self encouragement was the only way to get himself through the little pull through his shoulders, knowing that any more strain might set off something worse. He made a mental note to talk with his PT about getting working the knots loose sometime. With the kettle finally filled, he triumphantly made his way to the kitchen and slid it onto the stove top. "Alrighty then, now we just have to turn on one of the eyes and-" He stared at the stove, remembering the most important fact about this particular appliance that made him making leave tea and coffee to his sister. Unlike every other stove he'd ever encountered, this one didn't have knobs on the front, but rather on the top. It meant that if he wanted to turn it on, he'd most likely have to hoist himself onto the counter and sit there until he was finished making tea.

Charles naturally wasn't having it, gripping the arms of his chair until his fingers went white. Even getting a cup of tea was out of his range, and if he couldn't do the simplest of tasks then it was no wonder he didn't have any friends?

"You're helpless and so needy," he spat as he snatched the full kettle off the stove. Water splashed everywhere and soaked his clothing, and in his rage he threw the kettle to the floor with a clang. "The one friend you do have doesn't even want to come around too often just in case he's associated too closely with you. I don't even blame Hank for that. Hell, I hardly want to deal with myself most days." Charles shivered as he opened the fridge to look for something else to drink, preferably alcohol. At that point, he didn't care that it would react badly with his medicine or that it had been the cause of his injuries, alcohol had always been a friend when his mother stopped answering his calls and he was bored with everyone else. Alcohol made Charles fun, and if he was fun again then maybe people would come around to at least look at him. If he was lucky, they'd probably even touch him, kiss him, help him re-learn his way around his body and make him feel normal. The chill from the fridge made his trembling worsen, and with the cold came the sharp sting of pain. It didn't matter, he'd fought through worse to accomplish greater things. A tiny bit of pain for a good drink was worth it. "Come on, I know someone had to leave something here. Even a shot glass's worth will do the trick, just something to ease the pain."

As he rummaged through empty cartons and containers in search of something to drink, Raven walked through the door with their dinner and saw him drenched and violently shaking. At first, she nearly dropped the bag and milkshakes in her hand, but when she finally caught on to his muttering about wanting a drink she sat the food down and pulled him backwards.

"What," he barked,"are you doing?"

"Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing." Raven folded her arms when Charles forced himself to tremble less and furrow his brow. "You know you're not supposed to have alcohol, and I know how you get when you're desperate. There's none here. Why are you all wet?"

"You weren't here to make tea."

"I had to get dinner, but I can make you some tea after we get you out of those clothes and you start on dinner." She began to push his chair to the bedroom, almost tripping over the back rest when he put on the break. "Charles, you need to get out of those. You're dripping."

"I don't want you to help me. I don't need your help." He struggled with the buttons on his cardigan, too cold and aggravated to make any progress. "I don't need anyone, so you can go back to the house with your sorority and have your fun."

"Charles, you know that's not what I'm doing there. I come over here to help you because you're my brother and I l-"

"I'm your brother and you pity me, I get it. I don't need your pity, though, nor do I want it. Get out of my flat." He released the break on his chair, surprised when Raven put it back on and moved to stand in front of him.

"I can't just go. You don't want anyone around because you can't help but to feel bad for yourself, but then you tell everyone else not to feel bad. You hate yourself and you don't want to deal with this, but you have to because this is your life now, Charles! You can't be angry with everyone else just because they don't understand or know what to do when they're trying!" Raven got to her knees in front of her brother, trying to look smaller so as not to anger him further. He'd become touchy about being dominated over as of late and she knew that it wouldn't help in the moment. "Charles, please, let someone help you."

"No." He reached into his pocket, his whole being unsteady from being cold, wet, and mad. The bottle opener was there where he needed it to be when he needed it, unlike everyone else. Raven couldn't even be there to make him tea when he needed her to be, so how could he trust her or what she had to say? She was just as wrong as the rest of them. "Now get out. I don't want to see you or anyone else here ever again." Raven sniffled and sighed, standing and brushing off her knees.

"You know, I always looked up to you, Charles. I always thought you'd be different than mom was, because you're so much like the stories you told about your father, but I think I've realized over the last few months that you're more of your mother's son than we both thought. It's really a shame that you're falling into her habits too and you don't even see it." Raven wiped on eye, sighing again and heading to the door. "Enjoy your dinner. Bye, Charles." By then, he'd turned away from her and listened to the door shut behind her. The food immediately went into the trash, no matter how hungry he now felt. He didn't need her pity or charity. Charles Xavier didn't need anyone, and he never would.

Besides, the world didn't need Charles Xavier anymore. They'd all left him to rot alone, and without him around Raven would be much better off. Their mother obviously was, for if he hadn't been dead to her before the accident had made sure that he was now. Still, he'd started to regret being so cruel to his sister in the hours that followed their spat. She'd only been trying to help him out as best as she could while having her own life, just like he'd dictated, so really it was is own fault that she was upset. Being told that he was as bad as his mother was difficult when it came from the one person who he'd loved the most out of his living family members, sinking his mood even further. Cruelty was the one thing he never would have wished on his sweet sister, but he was the very person who'd shown it to her and kicked her out in the same breath. Now not only had the man who'd hit him taken his mobility, but his sweetness and consequently his most beloved sibling. He certainly felt useless now.

Raven let herself back in the next morning with a variety of foods from Charles's favorite diner, apologetic and regretful that she'd left him all alone that night. He was moody and volatile, but he was still her brother. As she'd expected, he hadn't eaten for hours once, but he'd also slept in his chair while still wearing his wet clothes. He had to be uncomfortable, even if he'd dried off. Charles was still sleeping when she found him in parked front of the window in the living room, his hands curled on his lap. She cleaned up and started the kettle in the kitchen so he'd have some warm tea as soon as he was up and redressed.

"Charles, wake up," she pleaded gently as she poked his shoulder. He roused awake and blinked sleepily at his sister, a tiny heartbreaking smile pulling up the corners of his mouth.

"Raven, you're back. I'm so happy you're back. I've just had the loveliest dream." He curled his hand around hers fondly.

"I'm so sorry I left yesterday, and what I said, and I just want you to know that I love you, Charles. Even if you're cranky and upset because you have a hard time, I love you because you're the best brother in the world and you try so hard." She bit her lip. "We're going to get you some food and I've got the kettle on so you can have tea, then you can have a bath and warm up. I assume you took some of the stronger pills last night, didn't you?" Raven remembered how much Charles hated one of his pain medications because it put him out of his mind for a while, but when he was too upset and hurt to care he turned to it just for that reason. If she didn't do something, she could lose him to drugs or possibly something the couldn't recover from.

"Raven? Raven!" Charles tugged on her hand. "Come closer, I want to tell you something. I need something." She did as instructed, listening as Charles played with something metal that clinked in his pocket. "I want a shark, Raven. Like the ones you see in the ocean, but in a tank. The biggest tank you've ever seen with a shark of my very own. Wouldn't that be lovely? I could watch it swim all day, and it would need me to care for it and pay attention to it. My own shark to be my friend just in case you get busy again. I want one like this." He handed her the bottle opener. "Just like this one. Could you do that for me?"

"I don't know, Charles. I mean, I can try but..." Charles had always had the strangest ideas and projects, even when they were children, but Raven was sure that a shark would be far too much for her brother to handle even if he was still able to walk. They required space, and furthermore where would she even find a shark for him in their current location. She turned the shark over in her hand as she tried to find a solution to her newest problem before she found the answer. Inscribed on the shark was an initial and a name, _E. Lehnsherr_ , scrawled into the metal like an artist's signature. Lehnsherr wasn't a commonly heard name around campus, but when she had heard it there was only bad news that followed. Only in one other instance had praise come after, and that was from the mouth of her very own brother in the week or so that followed the party at her sorority. Charles had demanded a shark, proclaimed that he needed someone around when she couldn't be, and then practically handed over the answer to their problems.

"You know what, Charles? I think I can get you that shark. It'll take a little fishing, but it won't take long." Raven squeezed his hand, grinning back at Charles as his smile widened.

\---

Finding Lehnsherr wasn't as easy as Raven thought it would be, and when she did find him it was in the last place she wanted to be. His address just happened to be in front of the scene of the accident all those months ago, which brought back memories of that night even in the middle of the day. Her heart leapt into her throat as she looked around and hoped that Erik would show up, and when he did she jumped in front of him.

"Erik Lehnsherr!" Raven pointed at his nose, stepping back when he bore his teeth to intimidate her. He definitely filled the role of "shark" with teeth like those. "You know my brother."

"Who doesn't?" Erik started to step around her, his path yet again blocked when she moved with him. "What does it have to do with me?"

"You're the only person in this whole school who hasn't seen him since, um, since everything happened. I doubt that you don't know what's going on with him, especially since you live right in front of where it happened." The man before her visibly paled, wobbling on her feet. If he fainted, she was going to have a time dragging him home to Charles.

"That was...he...I heard you yell and I wanted to think that maybe it was a different Charles. It's a common enough name, and then I'd heard what had happened, but I couldn't go." Erik steadied himself, his jaw set hard as he spoke. "I'm sure he told you about what happened at the party."

"He never shut up about you and he doesn't go anywhere without that shark you gave him. He told me about that, you know. It was the first thing he asked for when he woke up." He'd let her see his hand, and now Raven knew just how to guilt Erik into falling into her trap. "He's been asking about you sometimes. 'Why hasn't Erik visited me yet?' 'Maybe if I weren't in this chair, he'd think I was worth visiting.' He's in pieces because of this, you know."

Erik frowned, and Raven could almost taste victory. She just had to seal the deal, and so she pulled out her planner to scribble something onto an unused page before tearing it out and handing it to him along with a crisp twenty. He looked it over with some confusion.

"What's this?"

"His home address. Here, get some food with that and something sweet. He'll be the happiest man alive if you show up at his door with food. Think of it as making up to him for not showing up all this time." He seemed suspicious about Raven's actions, but against his better judgement he's decided that he could trust her. The money and paper went into his back pocket.

"I'll go after class. You're sure he wants to see me?"

"Totally. Look, this'll mean a lot to him and it'll help him to cope. You're a good guy, Lehnsherr. Really," she'd added as she watched him touch his back pocket. He couldn't have been so bad if he was actually concerned about Charles and wanted to visit. Maybe he'd been planning to, but who knew what kind of timing he'd have? He needed the push, she convinced herself. "Good luck." Raven practically skipped off to her next class, proud of her good deed for the day. Later that evening, she'd find out that things didn't get off to smooth of a start as she'd intended.

\---

"What are you doing here?"

"Your sister sent me." Erik held up a bag of cartons from the little Chinese place he'd found on the way to Charles's flat. "I came with food."

"No, what are _you_ doing _here_? You said that you wouldn't even give me the time of day unless we met again on our own and now you're here in my flat with dinner. Just what in the hell are you up to?" Charles pushed himself up to Erik, nearly running into his shins on purpose.

"Circumstances changed, and technically we did meet again on our own terms. It was just months later than when we actually met. That's my fault, I'll admit." He easily went around Charles to get out plates, ignoring the furious roll of wheels that trailed behind him.

"I don't have a clue what you mean. Put my plates back, I can eat out of the damn carton." He reached for the bag to pull it off Erik's arm or at least to grab some chopsticks and a carton, making an embarrassing noise when Erik moved it up and out of reach. "You asshole, put it back down! I'm not getting up to get it."

"You can't get up to get it," he retorted, putting the bag on the shelf while he rinsed off the plates that had been unused for months. Erik yelped when Charles pinched his side ferociously.

"You don't want to test that, Lehnsherr. Put. Them. BACK!" Each successive attack followed his words until Erik eventually picked him up and sat him on the counter, leaving as quickly as possible with both the food and plates. "Don't leave me here! I can't get down." Erik sat the food at the table, filling each plate with a little of everything.

"Which is it, Charles? Are you helpless, or can you do it all on your own? You're confusing me and everyone else from the gossip I've been hearing." He started to eat, watching Charles from the corner of his eye. Charles was pissed, but it was important that Erik knew where they stood if he was going to stick around. If he was just going to be another person for Charles to resent because he didn't know how either of them could make this easier for the man, then he wasn't sure he could stay. What made him hold out for Charles was that he did want to be there and that before, when he couldn't visit, that he'd wanted to be. Erik just didn't want to become like everyone else and get so overwhelmed with Charles that he gave up right along with him, because no one needed that while in this kind of situation. As determined as he was, he was also stubborn, and to have been around Charles in the months when he was more tender and not yet at the cusp of a progressive breaking point with his emotions would have ruined any chance he had to recover. All he could do now was wait for an answer and eat.

Charles slowly attempted to lower himself into the chair once he'd taken time to see that Erik was kind enough to put the break on, nearly making it before the pain set in. He huffed and continued to try until Erik came to his aid very shortly after, gently carrying him to the couch and sitting him with his legs stretched out before him. Of all the times he'd been carried and hated it, this one was different. Erik carried him with a purpose rather than like he was human cargo. Chopsticks and a plate were given to him, then Erik took a seat with the rest of his meal in a nearby recliner. There was silence except for the noises of the abandoned television, then Charles swallowed his mouthful before speaking.

"I don't want to be helpless," he started softly, "but I don't know how to be anything else and no one knows how to teach me." Charles kept his eyes on his food. "I need help, and I know I need to make adjustments to the way I'm living to gain my independence. I have to live with being in a chair even though it isn't my fault, but I don't want to. Nobody else does either, but at least they have a choice. I don't."

"You have the choice to make it easier, though. You have the drive to try, but as you said, you don't know how to make it better."

"Then why are you here?" He looked up just as Erik did, both of them a little surprised by the question. Erik moved his food about, mulling over an answer.

"Because I said I'd give you my time if we ever crossed paths again, and then you were hit in front of my dorm. So I'm willing to learn with you, but as equals. That's what you want and need, isn't it?" Erik waited for Charles to nod before going on. "Then let me, Xavi-Charles. Think of it as a do over of our first meeting."

"...alright. But if you leave me on the counter again, I'm going to throw everything within my reach at you."

"Deal. Although you should really learn how to get in and out of your chair on your own. You wouldn't have so much pain in your hands and shoulders if you worked out." Charles made a face, returning to eating. "You have to take better care of yourself if you want to be able to get along on your own."

"Soon enough. All I really need is to be able to make a coffee or tea on my own, otherwise I wouldn't need to know how to get onto and off of the counter." Erik filed away that tidbit for later use.

"Still, you have to keep fit even a little bit. It'll give you motivation.

"If I've got you here, then it'll be fine. Speaking of which, could you go and get me a root beer from the fridge? You're welcome to one yourself, it's the least I can do for the food I suppose." He watched Erik go and return, envying how strong and purposeful his movements seemed. Maybe Erik was right about something, and if his advice was a good as his offer, maybe he'd be someone Charles could trust. Once he was handed his bottle, he popped off the cap with his bottle opener. Erik's eyes were locked onto it. "What?"

"You really did keep it."

"Yes. It's been by my side ever since the accident. I told you that I liked it." He opened Erik's too, their hands overlapping as they steadied the bottle together. Charles marveled at how warm Erik's hands were and even more at how his own chilly fingers didn't seem to bother Erik's. This arrangement had some hope left in it yet. "And it's handy for situations like this."

"Good that it's going to better use with you than it had when it was mine." He clinked their bottles together. "To making Charles Xavier more independent and less indecisive as to what he wants in his new life." Erik gave him a little smile much fonder than the one from the party ages ago. His nose still scrunched at the bridge when all his teeth were out. Charles still thought it was the most adorable thing he'd ever seen, even if the man who the smile belonged to was going to be less than pleasant at times.

"To Erik Lehnsherr learning how to play nice and become a decent human being from this experience." They each took a pull from their root beers, the rest of their meal spent watching some reality show and complaining the whole time. Raven texted to ask Charles if he was enjoying his shark, but save for a little scowl to the screen he never sent a reply. Charles life now had the chance to improve now that Erik was at his side to pick up whatever slack there was, and the thrill of it all sent his heart fluttering whenever he looked to Erik. He could enjoy his life once again, he hoped.

Of course, Erik just _had_ to ruin that the next day when he brought Charles a set of hand weights and an electric kettle, but that was going to become momentarily unpleasant in the times to come.


	4. Chapter 4

Everything was better with Erik around once Charles could get over the fact that his new friend was very much a morning person. His mornings started out with a sleepy voyage to answer the pounding at the door at five in the morning, and even if one lanky and handsome German holding food and coffee was his reward it didn't mean he enjoyed being up at such an hour. Erik decided that he'd make it up to Charles by allowing himself to be chased around the living room until the coffee was just cool enough to drink and the other's arms were ready to give out from pushing his chair around. They'd collapse onto the couch to watch the news and eat in silence, Charles ready to nod off again at any moment until Erik forced him to get ready for class. Charles hated it at first, the exercise and eventual lack of ordering take out that came along with a man who probably didn't know what cheap ramen even looked like, but then he tried Erik's cooking.

Thank goodness for New York and the marriage laws. He'd end up marrying the man some day just to keep him in the kitchen. Erik was handy for more than just his culinary skills, Charles found. He was good at fixing any leaks in the seal of the new special tub Charles needed and at installing all the fixtures Charles needed to have his independence back. Not only the fixtures, but he'd done wonders in reshaping Charles's body into a small powerhouse. Charles begrudgingly made use of the weights when Erik was out and hardly realized his own strength until he and Erik got into one of their playful boxing matches. Even Erik was surprised when he came away with a bruise, showing it off to Raven only hours later with such pride that Charles was bright red for almost thirty minutes after. His new strength meant that he could get in and out of his chair on his own, inspiring Charles into making great physical feats that included tackling Erik to the ground for one of his books. They laid in a pile on the floor in a fit of laughter like children with Charles's head on Erik's chest.

"Your big head is going to leave a bruise," Erik huffed out.

"Then maybe you need to put on a little more weight and pad out you chest. For as wide as your shoulders are, you're nothing but bones," Charles teased back, earning a playful thump to his back. He laughed again, catching his breath to listen to Erik's heart beat in his chest.

"You don't complain when I pick you up. I'm strong enough to do that." As he sat up, Erik steadied Charles against him and shifted his legs into a more convenient position. He was always careful about those, Charles noticed, but seeing as he wouldn't have been able to feel if they were badly damaged by his leap he decided that he was thankful that Erik was being cautious. Erik's movements brought Charles's ear to the hollow of his throat, his pulse beating only inches away. Charles let his eyes slide shut to listen and take in Erik's heat, feeling more comfort than he'd been in ages. It had really been too long since he was in someone's arms for anything other than being moved around, even with Erik.

"That you are." He was careful not to bury his face into Erik's neck, even though his nose was beginning to feel a little cold. No matter how warm he was or how absolutely lovely the man smelled, it was a best that Charles didn't get too used to getting this intimate with Erik. He was just here to be a friend, not a live in boyfriend. The attraction that Charles had initially felt towards him still lingered and steadily grew stronger with each day Erik spent in his company. When Erik steadied his grip on Charles to stand and allowed him to stay resting against his chest, Charles held back a satisfied sigh.

"You're freezing again. Should I put you back into bed or just get you another blanket?" Going back to bed was a tempting thought, but Charles knew there were things to be done with the day. Even if his own chill and Erik's warmth made him suddenly feel a heavy drowsiness, he needed to get some of his homework done. Charles made a disgruntled little noise, soothed by the rumble of a chuckle he could feel while still against Erik's chest.

"Best get me the blanket and let me finish my work on the sofa. I want pizza for dinner."

"Then I'll run to the store and grab a few things to make it." Erik shivered at the groan and brush of lips against his throat when Charles started to complain.

"That'll take forever," he whined. "I'm hungry now."

"You need something healthier than fast food, and if I make the pizza I can be sure that you're getting proper nutrition. I'll set you up with more tea and a snack before you go." Erik carried Charles to the couch, sitting him up so that Charles could pull a blanket over his lap while grimacing.

"As long as it isn't those rice cake things again."

"You ate the whole bag of the caramel popcorn flavored ones before you realized what they were. Don't give me that look." Erik grinned as Charles frowned at him before turning up his nose and reaching for his book and laptop.

"You tricked me that time and you know it." He pretended to immediately get to work as Erik went to fetch him a snack and headed out after. Charles was pleased to find that Erik had left him with tea and his favorite sweets and sent him a text with a cute emoji after to spite him. His expression wrinkled when the response was a photograph of fresh produce. "Bastard," he muttered, retaliating with a picture of himself shoving several cookies into his mouth at once.

A friendly little war over snacks would later become a story to tell Raven together as they gathered around Erik's homemade pizza and Charles's favorite soft drinks while curled on the couch next to one another. Life with Erik was easy when Charles got used to his little habits and Erik got used to his, and it was even better when Erik helped him in his toughest times. Charles still had days when his mood went sour and he wanted nothing more than to curl up on the couch alone, to which Erik would resolve by making him tea and handing over his blanket before he gave him space. He always seemed to be able to tell the difference between when Charles wanted time for himself and quiet company before Charles even knew, sitting beside Charles with enough space between them to keep Charles warm and still have their distance. What he didn't realize yet was that Charles wouldn't have minded having his warmth and weight against him. Charles was going to keep it that way and take advantage of the times Erik carried him or pushed his chair while he hoped for the best.

Being that he was Charles Xavier, however, things only became worse as time went on. It wasn't that anyone did anything wrong, for Charles attended all of his appointments with every therapist and all of the legal proceedings that followed the accident. There wasn't a problem with his social life anymore either, because he had his small but close circle of friends around and they went out to pubs for drinks and fun every so often. Charles himself never drank more than half a pint for the moment, more afraid than anything to get too drunk these days even if Erik would look out for him. Erik never seemed to have more than the rest of Charles's pint and one of his own just to comfort his friend, and around him no one had too much of anything too strong. That was a problem, Charles thought, but he understood everyone's concerns. His triggers were specific, he'd found, usually just intoxicated students with car keys and Erik's street. He'd argued with Erik about moving once, trying to convince him that he could get over it if they just forced him to face it. Erik was pissed.

"I can come over and stay the night sometimes, Charles. It isn't like you place is any farther from classes than I can handle, I'm over here every morning anyway."

"No. I already cause you enough trouble. I'll just have to get used to-" Charles was silenced by Erik getting to his knees to meet his eye level, narrowing his eyes. He hated when Erik did that.

"No. I'll be over tomorrow with a bag of stuff. If it makes you feel better, I'll only stay over a few days at a time and never move in until finals, but only because you're not getting out of nutritional dinners when you're just about to graduate. I've even got my last things to do before I get my diploma, but I'll be fine. You wanted a friend, Charles, so damn it just accept that you picked someone who's just as stubborn as you are." They watched one another for some time before Erik stood again.

"...fine. But only a few days at a time, and if you take over the bathroom in the morning when I wake I won't hesitate to empty my bladder on your bed."

"If you do, I'm taking your bed for the next few nights." Charles hoped that his grip on the arm of his chair would pass for anger rather than excitement over the threat. "But I wouldn't do that. I know your needs."

"And that's why I keep you around," Charles grinned. "I still want to be able to visit you sometime. I want to know where you keep your dirty magazines and the like." Erik lightly punched his arm and smiled back.

"There's my Charles."

\---

The pain started to flare up after Erik had started to take residence in Charles's flat. They were small in the beginning, burning patches on the tops of Charles's thighs and hips that he would rather not have if it meant giving up the regained ability to feel his full bladder from time to time. An incomplete spinal injury like his meant that he could have a variety of symptoms as he recovered, which he hoped would mean that he could once again control his body temperature. Once again, he was disappointed to find that his constantly cool body made the pains that much worse. There wasn't much he could do on his own to calm the spasms but to soak and try to relax, but even that was not much help. He sighed at his desk one evening as he tried to rub the soreness away and swallow down bile that rose up from the combination of pain and hard medicine, finally groaning loudly enough to summon Erik in from the other room.

"Charles?"

"Could you just kill me now? I promise you'll get away with it, I have money and good lawyers and all the connections you could ever want," he whined. "Just take me from my pain, please. I can't stand it any longer." Charles buried his head into his arms once he'd given up on trying to help himself, trembling from the combination of cold and hurt. It surprised him when Erik lifted him from his chair to tenderly carry him to the couch and cover his upper half with a blanket.

"Have you been talking to the therapists about this?" Erik pulled Charles's shoes off, setting them aside as he rolled off his socks next. Charles breathed heavily through his nose, sparks rising up from points on the tops of his thighs and hips to his spine as he shivered.

"The PT says that the nerves are probably reconnecting and still trying to heal from the damage. Mixed with all of the issues I have from my T9 vertebrae taking the brunt of the damage, it's going to take some time and possibly medication to, oof, manage," he breathed, his spine starting to ache and throb. "It will be awhile before this episode subsides, and warming up always seems to help." Charles sighed shakily as his head lolled back, hardly noticing that Erik had pushed his legs apart and was pulling his belt and slacks open until a warm breath met his chest. "E-Erik, what're you-"

"I'm going to get you out of these so I can massage your legs, like you were doing before. The nerves should heal up better if the circulation to them improves, right? That's at least the solution for sore muscles, and the muscles here are so out of use that they need more attention than just a few appointments a week. We'll just have to add massages to the morning workout routine. Besides, my hands are much warmer than yours, and heat does wonders in these kind of situations." He easily lifted Charles to get him down to his briefs, then propped the heel of an outstretched leg onto his thigh and started to rub. Warm hands gently worked stiff and cool flesh into something more pliable.

"Oooooh, that's wonderful," Charles purred. His shoulders shifted slightly, the quarter sized areas of pain and cold shifting to lukewarm spots where Erik's touch was palm sized heaven. When Erik switched to the other leg, Charles's back pains were already feeling less severe. "Do you think a bath would help after this, then a nice nap?" Erik's laugh was warm.

"If you'd like, I suppose. Like you said, this was a severe episode."

"With bubbles?"

"Yes, Charles, with bubbles."

"And tea with biscuits?"

"Anything you want." Erik was hardly paying attention anymore, focused on working his hips now.

"And naked sex slaves?" He glanced up now, caught off guard and face pink. His nose wrinkled as he smiled and Charles let his eyelashes flutter innocently.

"Now you're just asking a little more than I can manage, Charles."

"I have the utmost faith in your abilities, Erik. I'd even share them with you. You're handsome enough to attract a crowd." His kneading stopped and Erik's attention fell to Charles's lap, almost frightening Charles into thinking he'd unexpectedly become erect. It was possible after Erik's hands had been on what used to be some of his most sensitive areas. He was thankful to still be flaccid for now, then once again worried.

"That's not what I want," he softly admitted. Erik removed himself from between Charles's legs, pulled the blanket over the rest of his exposed skin, and walked to the bathroom to start the bath. "I'll have the tea and all ready in a little while, Charles. Just rest and relax, you should start to feel better." Charles now fretted that Erik knew his secret, but when it didn't come up again later that night and they fell into their usual routine, he let it go.

The worry concerning what was said during that conversation returned a week later on their night at the pub after they'd consumed their drinks. Charles had one of his moments when his bladder wanted to give him warning, rolling off the the restroom to take care of it. He came back to find Erik speaking with Emma Frost, one of the senior members of his sister's sorority. Normally he wouldn't worry about his friends speaking to one another, but Emma had been nearly colder to Charles than Erik when they were actually on speaking terms. She was tall and beautiful beyond belief, just as thorny as Erik, and currently whispering something in his ear that made Erik burst out into laughter and smile.

Charles bit his cheek and rummaged into his pocket to get his keys and wallet, pushing enough money to take care of their tab before silently making his way out. Erik was having too much fun to notice, he figured, so he slipped out and wheeled his way down the street. He caught a cab a few blocks down when his back started to ache and his stomach turned with the oncoming panic of being so close to where he was hit, letting the driver pack his chair into the car once he'd heaved himself into the seat. Charles huddled into his jumper in the back seat, shuddering at the chill that disappeared once it reached past the point where his body went numb. They passed Erik's dorms before Charles offered to pay extra if he got home faster. The driver collected one hundred dollars from him after watching Charles plop himself into his chair shakily and drove off. Charles rolled inside and practically threw himself onto the couch, then pulled up his legs onto the seat and tugged his blanket over him.

Everything hurt. Erik's lights were off, he was with Emma, and everything hurt. Beautiful Emma and handsome Erik, both tall and lean and regal with sharp wit. Everything hurt. He was going to lose everything again because he was in a chair and couldn't walk or even keep himself warm or comfortable without some sort of material assistance. All the progress Erik had promised to give him and the friendship they had would be gone if Emma learned about Charles's feelings for Erik. Charles moaned. Everything hurt. Even his clothing dragging across his arms as he shifted pricked at his skin, and making any kind of noise tightened his throat.

He was going to be all alone again after only a short period of happiness. That was the last thing he wanted. If Erik was really going to go, the least he could do was stay until Charles had a replacement for him. Charles didn't want a replacement, though, he wanted Erik. All of Erik, or all of him that he was allowed to have. He wanted Erik to hold him, touch him, laugh and smile for him just like he always had before. His skin crawled, ached, and burned. Charles didn't want to be touched. He felt too sensitive, for even the ticking of the clock in the living room was too loud, so when the door opened it was enough to make him wince.

"No...nonono," he cried, gritting his teeth as he curled up tighter. Everything hurt.

"Charles?" A hand reached for him, accompanied by a low, soothing voice. It hurt when he was touched.

"Don't touch me."

"Are you alright?" The man reached again, trying to pull the blanket away. It was too cold out there, and even if the hand was warm he didn't trust it.

"Don't touch me!" Charles was yelling and ignoring the soreness of his throat and body. He wanted it to be over as quickly as possible, just to be in the darkness. "I don't need you, don't touch me." Footsteps signified that the man was leaving him alone as he'd asked, but something made Charles want him back. He peeked out, hissing in pain and figiting until Erik returned with a glass water and a bottle of pills.

"I won't touch you, but you have to tell me if you're in pain." Charles's eyes were on the pills, reaching for them and shrinking back under the blanket to glare at Erik when he tried to touch him again.

"Of course I hurt! Give me those and leave." Erik opened the bottle and handed him one, watching watery eyes slip closed as Charles popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it dry. He held the glass as Charles drank slowly and didn't move until his eyelids grew heavy and the shaking ceased. Charles fell asleep shortly after, making Erik feel somewhat guilty. After all, he had just passed off Charles's stronger medication as his usual pills, but the PT had prescribed them for severe cases that couldn't be fixed in any of the usual ways. He was sure that Charles would be pissed off when he woke, but at least he wasn't in as much pain and would let Erik move him to bed.

Erik scooped Charles up and took him to the bedroom, dressing him in soft sweats before tucking him in. He cupped Charles's cheek with relief, the furrow wiped from both of their brows. Without a second thought, he leaned in to kiss the center of Charles's forehead.

"Sorry about that. I was worried about you. Didn't see you leave, looked for you everywhere else, and then I find you here having one of the worst fits I've ever seen you in. It's a good thing I keep those pills out of the way, because if not..." He swept Charles's hair from his face, admiring the curl of his bangs as he remembered the photographs from earlier in the night that Emma had shown him of Charles in various cute hats from when he was bald. Charles was still adorable when he was happy, or angry, and especially when he was sleepy and disgruntled. He deserved nothing less than to be anything but content after all he'd suffered and accomplished despite that, which was why Erik couldn't bare to see him in pain if he could help it. However, he would have been lying if he had said that Charles demanding that he not be touched didn't hurt him.

Simply put, Erik was in love with Charles. He'd always thought he was pretty in an "unobtainable playboy with money" kind of way, but then he'd had the chance to just be with Charles and see him for who he was. Charles would do anything he could for anyone who needed it, and he was brilliant. Some days he just talked endlessly about experiments or a neat mutation he'd seen during his stay in the hospital, or he would work his way to talking about what factored into making Erik so tall and lean aside from his diet. He was fussy, but Raven had assured him that Charles had been that way before the accident occurred. Best of all, he was so pleasant to be around, whether they were nearly crashing into the back of parked cars while racing his chair down hills or watching television together on his sofa. Charles was everything Erik wasn't, but Erik was all the things that Charles wasn't as well. They just fit together.

That's why it hurt when Charles ordered that Erik keep his distance, because even when he was just cradled to Erik's chest, they fit and he'd always seemed more comfortable there than anywhere else. Erik would have to keep his distance now, only helping Charles when he needed it and not when he thought he could take advantage. Maybe Charles was serious about wanting more people around to care for him than just Erik. Was he tired of him already? Erik pulled himself away from Charles and made himself stay occupied in the kitchen making a soup until it was time to shift Charles from his position in bed to keep him from getting bedsores. He didn't usually have to help with that, seeing as Charles could do that on his own, but he'd heard that Charles was prone to remain still in his sleep under the influence of a sedative. Again, it was another chance to touch him for one last time before he had to stop, and Erik was going to cherish that moment.

\---

Three hours passed before Charles woke up in his own bed and in sweats. Everything was disorienting at first, his body still too light with sleep and medicine to properly understand what had happened. Minutes passed and water from a glass on the night table was consumed before he remembered what had passed between himself and Erik. Charles was enraged. He found his chair parked beside his bed as it usually was in the mornings, heaving himself into it to go in search of Erik. His search ended in front of the bathroom door when the man in question stepped out in nothing more than a towel.

"You're awake."

"You sedated me." They frowned at one another as Charles quickly raked his gaze over Erik's body, admiring his slim waist and broad chest. He might have been angry with him, but that didn't make Erik any less attractive. It didn't do anything for his mood when Erik stepped around his chair and pushed it to the kitchen. Charles watched him set a tray with a mug of hot water, a tea bag, sugar cubes, and a bowl of soup with thick bread on the side before being handed said tray and wheeled to the living room. "You sedated me, changed my clothes, and now you think that giving me food and tea is going to make up for it?" He kept his voice even and authoritative. Erik took the tray from Charles to set everything on the table Charles ate at when he was on the couch, then knelt before him and took his hand.

"I'm sorry," he said. Erik shaped Charles's hand into a fist, covering the cold digits with his own hand to warm them. "You didn't want to be touched and you were in quite a bit of pain this time. It looked serious, and you know they said if things got worse you could use those. I didn't see any other option at the time. I know that doesn't make it alright, but that's my reason for doing it." He stroked the back of Charles's hand with his thumb until he moved to stand. "Enjoy your dinner." Charles let him go to the guest room before settling in to eat and prepare his tea, glancing down at the bowl as he lost himself in thought. Erik cared about him enough to do something he knew he'd get in trouble for, but in the end Charles was safe and in significantly less pain in addition to feeling calm. He'd even made sure that Charles would wake comfortably and be able to continue on with the night (or early morning, he discovered), as well as provided food that would be easy for him to consume while still being filling.

More importantly, Erik came home, and Charles couldn't remember him smelling any differently than he had when he left. He dreamt of Erik returning to him and touching him once more, and from what he could tell Erik had done just that after he'd fallen asleep. He looked to his soup as he started to eat, setting the spoon down after only a few bites. Erik had even made his favorite soup for when he woke up. Charles moved back into his chair to knock on Erik's door, waiting for him to answer. He was in his sweats when he answered the door.

"I should punch you," Charles admitted.

"Stand up and do it, then." Erik was still as Charles parked his chair and moved himself forward to link his arms around Erik's waist.

"I said I should, not that I will. You're forgiven." He rested his chin on Erik's abdomen to look up at him. "You made my favorite."

"Everything is your favorite."

"Only when you make it, but you know what I mean." Charles pulled away from him, folding his hands in his lap awkwardly as he waited for Erik to either retreat back into his room or ask him to move. Instead, Erik offered his arms and leaned to Charles's level, and Charles looped his arms around Erik's neck to hold on as he was picked up. They took up a spot on the recliner in front of the window and huddled under a blanket, Charles curled up on Erik's lap with his ear to his chest and Erik's fingers in his hair.

"You're cold. I thought I wrapped you up pretty well," Erik commented. "I've got some warming massage oil for later if you want." Charles could feel his face going red, reminding himself that Erik was only interested in giving him a massage.

"Maybe later. I think I'm warming up enough right now with the human heater at my side." He pulled his legs in a little more, just to hear Erik grunt in surprise at Charles's cold toes on his arm. Charles chuckled.

"We're buying you socks with mice on them. That way you can be embarrassed when you go to your appointments."

"I'd wear those with pride if you bought them, you know. Mostly just to irk you."

"You would." Erik's nails scraped against Charles's scalp in repetitive patterns, coaxing a yawn from the smaller man and a snuffle into his chest. The medicine still hadn't entirely worn off. "Go back to sleep. We can talk about socks in the morning."

"It already is morning," Charles yawned again.

"Later in the morning. You're acting like a small child."

"People like holding small children, think they're cute. Maybe I should hold you sometime because you're pretty cute." Erik laughed gently, pulling Charles closer to his body to tuck the blanket in around them.

"Still using terrible pick up lines, I see."

"Oh quiet, you love them." They both went quiet, Erik's other hand tracing the line of Charles's spine until his breathing started to slow as if he was sleeping. Erik leaned his face down to kiss Charles's forehead again. Charles smiled sleepily and curled a fist onto Erik's chest.

"I do. Goodnight, Charles."

"Nigh', Erik."

Raven immediately went quiet when she found them curled up in the chair together, only stopping to take a picture to send to Charles's phone later before leaving for the moment. That would have to be a conversation for later in the day when they went to his appointment.


	5. Chapter 5

As graduation neared, Charles started to face the fact that he was desperately in love with Erik. Not that he hadn't known the fact already, but with each day that passed he knew that Erik would soon be gone. He'd already sat Charles down to talk about why he had to leave, something to do with his visa and needing to return to Germany for the summer to keep it valid as well as to visit his mother. Erik promised to send emails and to spend every day from then until he had to leave by Charles's side, not only out of duty but out of friendship. Ever since the night when Charles had his panic attack, Erik had been at his every beck and call. It was annoying at first, but when he was assured that Charles would be fine and that yes, he was allowed to touch Charles, things improved. With permission, Erik now accompanied Charles to many of his therapy sessions and practiced techniques to use at home with the guidance of the masseuse. By then, he'd even temporarily moved in, all of his things from his dorm moving into the guest room. When he woke for his runs, Charles kept himself awake for long enough to hear Erik move around the flat before leaving, then again when he came back to shower. Some mornings he'd miss his wake up call until Erik brought him tea and fruit for breakfast, grumbling when Erik denied him pancakes and pulling the covers over his head while listening to his friend laugh fondly at his misery.

Charles was smitten. Everyone seemed to know except Erik, and wouldn't that just be his luck? Or, maybe Erik had some kind of clue and didn't want to make things awkward, but then why would he continue to stay so close? Every morning he was plagued with the same questions, but even so he woke with the biggest grin on his face. His life was better than he could have expected it to be back when he was in a hospital bed. Charles was graduating, he had people to support him, and best of all he had Erik. He was also due to get a home more suited to his needs with wider doorways and lower counters and cabinets, and in the weeks leading up to graduation he and Erik had been packing anything that they didn't need into boxes for storage in a facility. It served a dual purpose in Charles's mind past the necessity of it all: for one, it fostered the domesticity he wanted from life with Erik, not that it was lacking in the first place. It's second was to remind him that Erik wasn't going to be around forever, seeing as all of his own personal belongings were packed separately to go into a different unit. He hadn't been involved in the moving aside from filling boxes and aiding in picking out the perfect place for Charles as if he too were moving in. Charles wanted him to move in, but with all that was going on, he just hadn't found the right moment. There were more important matters to attend to, such as figuring out how he was getting onto the stage to roll across on his own.

Charles let go of his worries on one morning, pulling himself out of bed while he heard Erik turn on the shower and dressing up in his best clothing. Even though he was losing a lot of the plushness of his bottom from the muscles being disused, he was still fortunate enough to still look good in a fitted pair of jeans and plain white shirt. He threw on his favorite black waistcoat and almost wore a tie, watching himself in the mirror.

"Why Charles," he mocked gasped at himself, "you're nearly bursting out of that shirt! Have you been working out? What does your chest look like these days?" With some amusement, he rolled up the sleeves on his shirt and unbuttoned the collar until a sliver of pale chest peeked through. He grinned at himself and moved to the kitchen to start his tea, filling the electric kettle with water and clicking it on. The day was already off to a wonderful start, with Charles feeling more comfortable and confident than he had in ages. He swept his hair back and bit his lip as he held back his excitement. When Erik finally exited the shower in his towel and headed to the kitchen to start the kettle like the usually did, he paused in surprise at the sight before him. "Erik, good morning. Would you be a dear and get the mugs?"

"Of course." Charles took notice of the way Erik hesitated with his answer and execution, and even more so when Erik leaned into his space. He knew he should have dabbed a touch of cologne onto his throat. "Anything else?"

"No, that'll be all for now, thank you." He lifted a brow as he pulled the tea and instant coffee from the cabinet. "Unless there's something you're needing?"

"No," Erik answered quickly. "Just making sure that you're fine this morning, but I guess I didn't need to worry too much." He held the towel tighter on his hip as it tried to slip off his narrow hips, Charles almost sensing a flirtatious tone behind his words. "I'll be getting dressed now, then breakfast."

"Can't wait. Coffee will be waiting for you when you, erm, finish." Charles tapped his collarbone as Erik retreated, softly laughing. If Erik was more flustered watching him than Charles was seeing him wet and mostly naked, then the day could only get better. He prepared their drinks and risked pulling out the Bisquick from the top shelf so Erik could make him pancakes, waiting on the couch with his tea innocently after. When Erik made it to the kitchen, Charles watched his face go from confusion to that lovely scrunched up laugh-and-smile he adored. Erik wordlessly made pancakes and sat a plate full of fluffy and warm breakfast before Charles minutes later, having drizzled them with warm syrup after slathering them in butter. Yes, Charles's morning was going splendidly, a hot guy handing him hot pancakes with a smile and some teasing words just enough to give him confidence that he could ask Erik to move in with him sometime soon.

If that morning hadn't been enough of a sign, they spent the rest of day out at shops and around the town. Charles did his best to look as alluring as possible, sucking the frozen yogurt off his spoon that Erik had insisted on paying for when they stopped for a snack. With every hum around his spoon, Erik took another sip of the water he'd bought to clear his throat and have some distraction. The cherry was saved for last as usual, Charles licking it once with a delicate swipe of his tongue before sucking it into his mouth and off the stem. He debated showing off his skills with the stem, but decided to give Erik a break. Before they left, Charles had been approached by a few of the people he used to party with, listening to their compliments about how good he looked as they touched his arms and shoulders. Erik stood back to allow him space, but Charles cut his suitors' speeches short to go to his side.

"Ready to move on? I believe you said something about helping me pick out 'more appropriate clothing for the summer.'" He nudged Erik's foot with the wheel of his chair, eagerly beaming up at him until Erik smiled back and got the door. Throughout the day, more of the students who had once admired and abandoned Charles came to him expressing interest in dating him, each request driving Erik to wander further into the store or stand about awkwardly pretending to read the signs on the shop windows. Charles wanted him to get possessive and possibly even bare his teeth when they talked to him, but he understood that Erik probably thought that Charles wanted this sort of attention again. Each time Erik made an effort to escape watching Charles possibly drift away from him, Charles chased after him and silently assured him that he wasn't going anywhere. There wasn't anyone Charles wanted more than Erik and he would continue trying to show him that no matter what it took. Some of that meant he had to suffer through Erik stocking up on vitamins and massage creams for Charles at a few of the health stores, or holding a basket full of vegetables when he'd clearly told Erik that he wanted Chinese for dinner with a coo and watery eyes. Charles didn't mind one bit, because Erik seemed to understand some of the basic meaning behind his actions that day, and if all Erik ever interpreted his love to be was a deeply meaningful friendship, he could make do with that. If it meant they wouldn't abandon one another even through Erik's mandatory summer absence, then that was good enough.

Maybe Erik understood a little more than he gave him credit for, though, because he made sure to take very good care of Charles during the day. The only reason they'd gotten frozen yogurt in the first place was because Erik suggested it, and he was well aware of Charles's sweet tooth. The plan to get summer clothing was really a search for lighter long sleeved shirts so that Charles wouldn't accidentally overheat himself while keeping himself warm, and instead of ordering out he'd bought all the supplies to make Charles's favorite dish from their usual place from the local Asian market and the grocery stores. Erik showed his affection, or at least that he cared, by the actions he took and the things he remembered about his friend. He was sure of it when Erik helped him with his speech at dinner and washed the dishes after leaving him with his nightly tea, then again when he draped a blanket over him when he'd started to reach for his cardigan. What he wouldn't give to have Erik cover him with his brown leather jacket in public just to let others know Charles was his, or lend it to him when he had to hurry off to his classes and couldn't find his jumper. He dozed off with those thoughts still playing at his mind, only waking to pull the blanket tighter around himself when Erik nudged him to get to bed. Staying still meant that Erik had to take him to bed and tuck him in, this time without disrobing him or the two kisses to his brow. It wasn't entirely disheartening, Charles drowsily mused, because Erik must have stayed there rubbing between his shoulderblades until he fell asleep again. He woke alone the next morning, but like usual he couldn't help smiling, this time because Erik had been thoughtful enough to set out his clothing for the day.

\---

His sister brought up the subject of what he was going to do about Erik before he could even properly talk to her about it. It was when she and Hank were coming around to take him to his appointment with his physical therapist and just after he'd finished ogling Erik packing his chair into the trunk.

"You're really not doing anything to hide it from him, are you?" Raven quieted when Erik tapped on Charles's window and waved, rolling her eyes when Charles waved back and tried to call out a goodbye through the glass. Once they'd started on their way, she continued. "But you still haven't told him that you're interested in him?"

"No, Raven, I haven't told him that I love him yet." The car swerved as Hank reacted to the declaration.

"Love? Charles, isn't that a hasty declaration?"

"No, Hank, when Charles wants to settle down with someone, it's a really big deal. Charles is...what's the word? Flighty? Picky?" Charles nudged the back of her seat with a shove to the shoulder.

"I have standards, just like my dear sister. Just because I'll sleep with nearly anyone, and I will admit that without shame, doesn't mean that I'll choose to share my life with just anyone. I've had former lovers tell me that I'm almost shallow when it comes to that. It's not my fault that I'm apt to become bored if they aren't interesting without the both of us needing to be drunk and naked." He zipped his jacket up and folded his arms. "Raven's much the same, that's why you've been pulled into our little circle aside from our friendship." Hank kept his eyes forward and his driving steady, but Charles could see him blushing.

"Not about Hank and I right now, this is about what you're going to do with Erik. Are you going to tell him before he goes, or after? I mean, if you do it before and he needs time to think about it, then he knows if he's going to show up to see you as much at your new place when he gets back. If you wait, then at least he'll be in the country and not ruin his dreams because he wants to avoid you. You know how Erik is." Raven pointed Hank in the right direction when he almost missed a turn as Charles faced this new dilemma. Erik had purposely avoided him for months after their first meeting until he wanted to see Charles, and thinking back on their day out he remembered the way Erik removed himself if he thought it would hurt Charles's chances at a normal life. It was entirely possible that Erik could take Charles's confession the wrong way or believe that it was only the product of being the one person who'd helped Charles pull out of the metaphorical hole he'd been in after the accident. He'd have to be convinced that Charles loved him for who he was and not just because of the circumstances, more that they were equals who helped one another become better rather than only being an anchor for Charles. Hopefully, he'd be able to see that being with Charles opened him up and made him less lonely, which he would need being countries and a sea away from his family.

"I think," Charles finally declared,"I should tell him after graduation. We'll both have everything wrapped up, and it'll be right before we start moving the rest of my stuff into storage for the summer. Erik shouldn't have this on his mind too when there's so much else to do before then, and if I wait then I can ask him to move in too. He's practically there already, and it would save him some money to share a storage unit with me. Then he wouldn't need to find himself a flat, maybe save up for a car, and nobody would have to worry about me getting to appointments because they're too busy." He smiled at his plan. It would work out perfectly if he was very careful. "I'd get him a car myself, but Erik would hate that. He doesn't like being dependent on anyone, like me, but how ironic is it that I've needed the idea that he could need and love me to help myself get to where I am now?" He chuckled sadly to himself. Raven turned to look at her brother.

"Everyone else left, Charles, or we were busy and couldn't help that. It's not a bad thing that you wanted someone there to comfort you and Erik just happened to be that person. Just be careful. Erik definitely cares about you, but you know how obsessed you get with things or people sometimes and how carried away and jaded you get."

"I won't make any mistakes, Raven, and if Erik wants to go because he doesn't like what he's heard or because he's uncomfortable, it won't be the first time it's happened. I'll let him go if I have to."

"If you say so," she muttered, then the rest of the ride was silent.

Two busy weeks passed by Charles without him having much time to even think of exactly when after graduation he'd talk to Erik about everything. His speech had to be finished, proofread, and practiced. There were robe fittings and ornamentations to be collected and tried on, then kept separate from spare clothing that was being packed away. Furniture went into trucks and books were returned, and once both he and Erik finally had some time to themselves they were too tired to do much more than eat and head off to bed. Even when they weren't and it was the middle of the day, Erik was usually off settling whatever needed to be settled, leaving Charles with nothing else to do but to help his sister with either her own packing or her love life. By the time graduation rolled around, he wanted nothing more than for it all to be done so he could either celebrate his new life with Erik and his degree or mope about and look for a job as a cranky old professor for the rest of his life.

The ceremony went just fine, as did his speech. He'd put in a few things about his experiences with his paralysis, barely hinting at the way everyone had fled when things became particularly rough. To make up for it, he urged them to find a reason to pull themselves from their depression and make the best out of a bad situation, which they would most likely have to do being freshly graduated college students in a less than favorable economy. People clapped for him when he finished, as well as when he rolled across the stage, but Charles's eyes only sought out Erik smiling back at him in the crowd.

In three days, he'd be on his way back to Germany for the summer. In three hours, he'd probably be receiving the news that Charles was in love with him. Three minutes brought him into Charles's delighted embrace and three seconds later the click of Raven's camera went off to capture the happy moment. Charles held onto him tightly, fearing that it might be the last time Erik looked at him as if he were the entire world to him.

\---

There wasn't a graduation party planned for either of them. For one, Erik hardly liked being in the room when they added Hank and Raven to their dinners until he finally warmed up to them, never mind that he didn't have friends outside of them to invite. Charles didn't fancy the idea of inviting all of the people who'd left him in his time of need to encroach on the last precious moments of time he had with Erik before he left. With that settled, the pair agreed on renting movies and stocking up on junk food and takeout for a quiet night of celebration. Erik had even picked up ingredients for chocolate lava cakes while Charles was trying to decide between Twizzlers and Red Vines, surprising him when they got to the check out. Every blanket and pillow in the flat was drug into the living room to build a fort on the couch with the coffee table and Charles's laptop underneath to keep the food close and the enclosure warm as they watched. They were like little boys having a sleepover, joking through Les Miserables and singing along aggressively before bursting into laughter. A childrens' movie had been thrown in at some point, and when Charles realized that Erik had picked it out for him because it had rats in it he punched his arm playfully as his heart leaped to his throat.

"I knew I should have picked Finding Nemo up. You're lucky I couldn't reach it."

"You would have climbed the shelves to get it if you weren't afraid of someone coming to stop you," Erik grinned, pausing the movie and fighting his way out of the fort. "Wait here, I have to go get something." He hurried to his room, leaving Charles in suspense. He returned with a box that was wrapped in blue paper with a ribbon around it that was decorated in double helixes. Charles made a note to ask where he'd gotten the ribbon later.

"What's that?"

"Graduation present. Here." Erik sat it in Charles's lap eagerly, sitting beside him.

"But I didn't get you anything. If I would have known-"

"Don't worry about that. Open it. I got it because I wanted to, you don't have to give me anything after letting me live here." As much as Charles wanted to protest, he kept his mouth shut and carefully unwrapped the package before opening it. The first item was a grey henley with buttons on the shoulders, most likely expensive from the quality of the item. "It's for the summer, so you won't get as cold. We didn't see any when we went looking, so I ordered you one. I might have taken a peek into your closet to get your size."

"You've always been more fashionable than I have. I really do like this, and it feels marvelous already. Thank you, Erik." Charles smiled and let it drop to his lap, picking up the next item in the box. It was a little metal rat bottle opener that matched the shark Erik had given them when they first met. He laughed.

"You needed a rat. They're your favorite, yeah?"

"Yeah." His cheeks hurt from smiling so much.

"One more thing. Check that envelope." Erik picked it up out of the box and handed it to Charles, letting their fingers brush. Charles nibbled his lip and opened it, reading over the little sheet of paper. He turned to Erik with a puzzled glance, then read it again. "I thought maybe you'd get lonely while I'm gone during the summer, and Raven told me about you asking for a shark when you were recovering, so I...I mean, you can use that for whatever you want, it doesn't have to be a shark. I was thinking you could get a rat and teach it tricks because you like them, or set up an entire tropical tank, but it's a little bit of a joke. A serious one, but-"

"No, I get it." Charles smiled at the gift certificate, planning on getting at least one creature to help ease the anxiety that would surely come with settling into a new place alone. The plus would be Erik returning to see them and getting to know their new pet, their little family complete in a little home they both had picked. "I might actually get a little rat and teach it how to bring you notes whenever I'm hungry."

"You would. Glad you like it, then." They sat together quietly as Charles tried to gather his words and his courage to bridge the gap left by the implication of what had just passed. He sucked in a breath, then exhaled, steeling himself and then asking.

"Does this mean you wouldn't be opposed to moving in with me when you return?" Charles watched Erik go from shock to relief and then to despair until Erik buried his face in his hands and tugged at his hair. He'd never seen a more worrying sign than that. "You don't have to, I know you've got a lot to deal with and I don't want to pressure you into doing anything you don't want to, Erik, but please just hear me out." His words were rushed as he tried to save the situation from getting any worse. "We can work things out, and you'll have your own space and everything to do whatever you want." Erik ruffled his hair and made a desperate noise before Charles realized that he was crying. Things were really bad. He probably knew why Charles wanted him to move in by now, and that he'd be treated just like everyone else if he were to leave. Charles knew that he'd have to let him go, quickly trying to backpedal. "Erik, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for this to cause you such distress. I just feel a certain way and-"

"Charles, can I just have my moment of humiliation alone, please?"

"I don't know why you feel humiliated, I think I'm the one who should feel humiliated."

"You can feel humiliated when you've gone all this time thinking that I was in love with you only to realize that that's just the way you treat your friends."

 _"What?"_ Charles was furious until he went over the words in his mind again. Erik loved him. Erik loved him so much and tried to hide it that even thinking that he'd heard Charles only wanted to be friends frustrated him to the point of tears. "You're? You love me?"

"Yes, Charles. Let's not make this worse."

"Can I make it better by stating that I love you too?" His voice had dropped to a whisper as he moved closer to Erik. "And that every morning for the last month I've woken up tearing myself apart trying to figure out how to tell you before you go and hoping that you'd still want to stay afterwards? Or how I want to fall asleep together like the time when I had that bad panic attack and you took care of me? I'm an idiot for not realizing it with the way you always just know what I need, but I think you could have given me some credit for trying to show you." Erik went quiet, lifting his face and wiping off the surprisingly scarce wetness from his eyes.

"Is that what the whole outfit and yogurt show was?" Charles nodded shyly, biting his lip. "And all those little jabs and bad pick up lines?" Once again, he nodded. Erik just barely smiled. "You're terrible at this, you know?"

"You're not any better." He hesitated to inch his hand closer to Erik's, gasping when the larger hand curled it's fingers with his. As usual, Erik's palm was warm when Charles's was cold, just as their bodies were when Erik pulled Charles into his lap. "What do you say we work on this relationship thing together? We've got a wonderful record going for educating one another in the most difficult of life's lessons."

"I see I've helped you to improve in the come on's already," Erik grinned, tilting his head slightly to nudge noses with Charles. They both trembled before their lips met and their eyes closed, Erik pulling Charles flush to him and positioning his legs. Charles gasped softly when Erik's hand slid up the back of his shirt to warm his skin and fell prey to the edge of teeth against his lip. His free hand grasped at the collar of Erik's shirt to pull him closer for another kiss. It took all of his self-restraint to keep from shoving Erik's head down to work at his throat, the relief of finally being touched by him flooding his system pleasantly. Charles wasn't so disciplined to keep himself from pulling away to kiss at Erik's jawline and down the bridge of his nose until he was ready to curl against his chest. Erik wanted to do more, he could tell, but unlike Charles he was able to hold off.

"I've wanted to do that for the longest time. I just wish I would have come to you in better condition." He'd never thought he would regret his losses when he finally had Erik for his own, but the reality was that there was so much he wanted to do with Erik that just wouldn't be the same with his paralysis. Above him, Erik shook his head.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Charles. So you can't walk and sex is probably going to be different from what you're used to, how does that make you less worthy? We'll just have to learn together, like always." He pressed his lips to the top of Charles's hair. "I'm just as clueless as you in how things are going to turn out, but that puts us on equal footing, and isn't that what counts when you're together? Being equals?"

"You're right." He listened to Erik's heart race until it subsided into strong thumps, Erik having resorted to shifting by then. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm trying to figure out the best way to ask you if we could move to your room so I can kiss you the way I want to." The words made Charles's heart pick up.

"That's good enough." They moved to the bed and Charles allowed Erik to strip them both to their jeans before he hovered over Charles and tucked his face into the crook of his neck. Erik was careful at first, testing Charles with gentle kisses down his arms until he was satisfied. His tongue traced down to the dip between Charles's collarbone, then latched to the spot to suck a purpling mark there. He didn't mind one bit when Charles pushed his face closer and held onto his hair tightly. When he finished, he admired his work and worked his way downwards with open mouthed kisses.

"You're beautiful. Even when you were bald after the accident, you were handsome. Someone showed me, but that doesn't matter. You've always been beautiful to me, Charles, but I wasn't sure if I wanted you. I am now." He nuzzled against his belly, Charles barely feeling some of it at a certain point. "I didn't want to be another conquest."

"You aren't. I don't think you ever would have been, and I'm glad you didn't let me make you into one." Charles watched as Erik kissed his way back to Charles's lips, a lean and warm body pressed against his and long fingers reaching up to stroke his hair. They only broke away when Charles yawned, Erik laughing when he was batted away with embarrassment. "You should go get the blanket so we can sleep."

"Yes, Professor Xavier." As Erik pulled himself away, Charles admired the way his jeans had slipped down onto his hips.

"Call me that again and I'll make you into a blanket."

"I wouldn't protest," Erik challenged, leaving Charles speechless for a moment to retrieve the bedding from the living room. It was all piled onto the bed when he'd returned, then Erik climbed in and spooned in behind Charles. With a full bed and a warm body joining him, Charles almost felt overheated for once, but he shifted to look back at Erik and get closer anyhow.

"I'm so glad that Raven listened when I told her I wanted a shark."

"What?" Erik's confusion made Charles giggle and move himself around until he could shove his face against Erik's chest once more.

"Nothing. Just a happy thought."

\---

Erik left three days later. His things took their place in storage with Charles's, and Charles moved out of one place and into another without him. Their parting had been a flurry of bittersweet kisses and too many well wishes to count, then a minor bought of depression on the ride home with Raven. Charles kept himself busy as possible until his phone or email pinged with a message from Erik to signal that he'd arrived safely. Days passed with the both of them feeling like something huge was missing before Charles finally broke down and called Erik to ramble about some article he'd read in one of his biology magazines. He smiled when Erik only replied with a sleepy, "I miss you too," and told him about how his trip had been going.

From then on, they set up a schedule of when to call to combat time zones and busy lives, keeping to it every day no matter what. Charles had even spoken to Erik's mother at one point, assuring her that he'd come with Erik next time to see her as soon as they had made sure he would be fine traveling on a plane. That made Erik happier than anything else that day, save for the cute picture he was texted that night of Charles at the pet store holding a little bunny Raven sent. Messages that happened after their calls were usually reserved for text and email, or news articles and blogs they wanted to share that they couldn't just talk about on the phone. Sometimes they exchanged cheesy or witty e-cards, and on the rare occasion after making sure that the other was alone they would sneak in a photo or two of themself in the bath or relaxing nude in bed. Charles used the photos to get in a little practice with relearning his own body, wanting to surprise Erik when he returned. There were few things that they were keeping secret to surprise each other with, such as Charles's rat Arthur and Erik's mother's gift of a thick knitted jumper for his always cold boyfriend, but they knew that keeping quiet would make the reveal that much better.

The summer was long and warm, but Charles was still too cool on most days to go without wearing some kind of jacket. Once Hank, Raven, and himself had moved everything in and unpacked all the boxes, he'd taken to stealing some of Erik's clothing to wear. Aside from the jackets, most of it clung to his body like a glove, seeing as he was thicker in the torso than Erik. He saved his present from Erik to wear when he and Raven went to the airport to pick him up when he finally returned, not surprised to see that the grey brought out his eyes. Charles was willing to bet that was why Erik was always so intent in looking him in the eye whenever they spoke.

He waited with Raven in the lobby of the airport, drumming on his thighs impatiently. Erik's flight had made it in, but there was the matter of him getting through customs and all. They'd arrived a little later just so that they wouldn't have to wait, but as people passed them by with their luggage, Charles became antsy.

"Maybe he tried to smuggle a Kinder Egg in."

"Shh! Don't jinx him. If he did, it was in the name of love." Charles bit his lip and scanned the area again, this time spotting a tall thin man approaching them. At first, he was sure that it was Erik, but as he neared Charles frowned and watched him go by with irritation. Fed up with waiting, he decided to go to the restroom to waste time. "I'll be back," he grumbled. When he got into the bathroom, he found that someone obviously not disabled had taken over the stall, infuriating him even further. He wheeled himself to the door to knock on it. "Who do you think you are? This stall is labeled for a reason, and all the others are empty. Don't tell me you just wanted to change in here to impress someone!"

"As a matter of fact, that's exactly the case." The door opened to reveal a wonderfully tanned Erik in aviators, which made Charles writhe about in his chair and reach out for him once he'd put the parking break on. Erik lifted him for a kiss, keeping a tight hold on Charles to accept the kisses that were peppered onto his face afterwards.

"You don't have to change for me, I think you look delicious as is. Where were you? We've been waiting forever."

"I slipped in here when you got here and left my bags somewhere for Raven to pick up. She texted me and made sure that you didn't go into the bathroom like you usually do before going out." Charles pursed his lips in a pout. "I wanted to surprise you."

"In a bathroom? Hardly romantic." He kissed him once again anyhow. "But thoughtful. I'm also going to ban you both from talking just in case you have further plans to conspire against me. Put me down and let's go home, you have to see what the place looks like and our new baby." Erik lowered him into the chair and stepped out of the way, wheeling Charles into the stall.

"Take care of this first and I'll go wait with Raven. Wouldn't want you getting over excited." He just missed dodging a smack on the butt before being pushed out.

"I'll show you overexcitement."

Raven dropped them off as soon as they were in front of the little house, leaving them to settle in with Erik's things. The bags were abandoned in the living room in favor of Charles giving Erik a tour. Both of them were excited at how easy it was for Charles to move around and access everything in the house including the blinds and curtains, but when it came to the bedroom Erik was surprised to see that the bed was higher up than he expected.

"Don't you think that it'll be hard for you to get in and out of this?" He sat on the bed, listening to the squeak of a rodent he had yet to see or meet on a wheel.

"There's a lift on one side just in case, but you see..." Charles wheeled over to pull the animal from its cage before parking his chair in front of the bed, reaching for Erik once more. Erik pulled him onto his lap, watching Charles smile up at him as he was sniffed by a blue-grey rat. "I was thinking that you could help me into bed every night, that is if you agree to sharing it with me. The other bed isn't set up if that helps you make a decision."

"I don't think there's anywhere else I'd rather be. Somebody needs to be around to keep you warm at night to stave off the chills."


	6. Chapter 6

The years were terribly kind to Erik. Charles thought they were unfair on his part, but his fiance (who would become his husband in mere hours) begged to differ. Of course he had no trouble saying that, he still had all of his hair, just much lighter. They always joked that they were lucky to not be passing on their genes to another generation, because their children would either be balding or have all their hair go white at an early age. Erik's hair wasn't his only fortune, for he remained fit even after all that time. It wasn't that Charles had been slacking in his own workout routine, but that Erik had improved in his culinary skills and made sure to keep his boyfriend well fed. As a result, he'd gained a bit of a belly, making him look more like a homely professor than he liked. Erik made sure that he never felt anything less than handsome at all times, even when his hair was barely thick and short enough to keep Charles from wanting to shave it all off.

Today was the tenth anniversary of when they'd first met. The morning started with Erik kissing Charles's shoulders until he woke before he pulled out of their bed at Westchester. Since the reception was going to be at Charles's childhood home, they'd spent the last month airing the place out and cleaning up after the renovations finished. Charles's mother had moved to some high end nursing home, his step-father finally out of the picture and step-brother holed up in prison somewhere, which left the mansion to him along with the rest of his share of the inheritance. Erik, unwilling to move from their little home in the city for fear of being too far from either of their jobs, suggested that they keep it maintained for holidays and ceremonies. They could imagine no better place to marry than there.

"I'll get breakfast started. Everyone else should be up soon. Get some more sleep, Charles, I just wanted to make sure I was the first thing you saw when you woke this morning." Erik bent over the bed to kiss Charles gently, chuckling into it when clumsy fingers slipped into his hair.

"Come back to bed and let someone else take care of breakfast. You know Raven's going to drag me off to get ready after and I won't get to see you until the ceremony," Charles murmured. His lips pressed to every inch of skin they touched, scratching against the white stubble of Erik's jaw. "Old man."

"We're barely to forty, Charles. Not old at all, we just look it."

"I look like it, you just look like a silver fox." He sighed and turned himself onto his back. "You're still certain that you want to marry me? I hardly look like the pretty young thing I was a decade ago." Erik moved Charles over to lie next to him in bed, throwing an arm over his middle to pull Charles in closer.

"You've matured, and I think you look dignified with a few wrinkles and less hair. Your eyes are still bright as ever, they'll stand out even more when you're bald. People will hardly notice you don't have hair when they start talking to you." They shifted until they were face to face, Erik cradling Charles's face in his hands. "And you'll always be my handsome Charles, just with more brawn to go with the brain. I still have to fight the young ones off of you." The truth was that Erik always felt somewhat intimidated over the years by other people showing interest in Charles, friendlier and younger people who were willing to show Charles a good time even as he'd aged. His peers, students, and sometimes just people off the street couldn't resist Charles's charms and good looks, and as he'd aged it only became worse. Erik tried to keep quiet about his worries until Charles requested that they sit down for a serious discussion a year ago, and then he let everything come out.

"You won't have to worry as much after today." Charles smiled, leaning in to kiss the tip of Erik's nose. "I'll just tell them I'm happily married and that my husband would really prefer to keep his spouse to himself." He remembered Erik's stern expression when he told Charles that he was worried someone would take him away, and how ridiculous he thought Erik's thinking had become. Nearly eight years together and he still didn't think he was good enough for Charles meant that he'd chosen the perfect moment to show Erik how much he loved him. Charles took Erik's hand that night and slipped the ring onto his finger, giddy and shyly proclaiming that he thought Erik would be the perfect person to spend the rest of his life with if Erik would permit it. "And if the reverse happens, which you will be surprised to hear is quite common, then I'll tell them that they should have made a move on you first."

"When do they talk about me?" Erik was truly curious, his eyes widening almost comically as his nose started to wrinkle. Charles still found it adorable.

"When you come by to bring me lunch or visit during office hours. People have seen you there, you know. They always ask me who that gorgeous man with the long legs and white hair is, and I tell them that he's the man I'm marrying. Soon I'll be able to change that to 'the man I married.'" His smile grew as he took his turn in initiating a kiss. "I think I've changed my mind. Even if I'm fat and bald, there's no way you're stopping me from marrying you now. You're stuck with me."

"Damn," Erik replied. "You're lucky that I think you're cute when you get excited over what I've made for dinner." They laughed together, curling in closer to keep warm in bed. Since they'd arrived at Westchester, the mornings had been so cool that they had to drag out the extra bedding to pile on the bed, but Charles had never felt any of his usual chills or aches while sharing the bed with Erik. He chalked it up to feeling entirely at ease with Erik by his side in a place that would usually make him feel uneasy. "And when I make you tea, which I should be getting up to do."

"I can go without tea this morning. We've got every morning of the rest of our lives left for you to bring me tea, but this is the last one before we're legally bound together. Let's break routine and do something we don't normally do when we go on holiday." He pulled the sheets over their heads, snuggling closer to Erik. "You're skipping your run, I'm skipping my tea, and we'll most likely skip a big breakfast. We should lock the doors and lounge about naked, open all the curtains and let the light come in. Then, I'd like for you to take me against the window." His lips had moved close to Erik's ear, nipping lightly at the lobe. "I brought everything for that, and I'm sure we'll be too tired tonight to do much else. Afterwards, we can have a long bath and take bets as to who is going to be the most drunk at the end of the night. Mine's on Stark."

"I don't want to talk about Stark if we're going to have sex." Erik tilted his head up. "But I will take that challenge and bet double that Wilson will be even worse."

Raven was upset when she went to call the couple to breakfast only to find one of Erik's ties on the knob and heard her brother's cries from behind the locked door of their room. She grumbled, cursed, and decided that they'd just go on without them. As long as they were out by the time the others finished their meal, there couldn't be any harm in letting them have their fun.

\---

"How does he look? Are you sure I can't see him?"

"No, Charles. You can wait ten more minutes, can't you?"

"Can't you just tell me what color his suit is?" Charles tried to lift himself up to peek out the window, his sister forcing him to sit so she could straighten his gold tie.

"No. You can't see your groom until you're rolling down the aisle. Why does the color of his suit matter anyway?" Raven made sure Charles's hair looked full enough, knowing that her brother wanted to look like he had at least a decent amount of hair for the photos. "I doubt he's going to wear anything that will clash with your navy. Probably won't match those ridiculous rat socks, though." 

"You hush, those were his wedding present to me as our something new.  We're each other's 'something old,'" he boasted. Raven rolled her eyes, listening for the music to signal that they were ready. "And we're borrowing you from Hank to give me away, just like you gave me Erik the first time." Charles reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze as his eyes started to water. "Thank you."

"Anything for my brother. I'm just happy that we could do something to make sure you didn't give up after everything, and look at you now. You're about to be the happiest man in the world. So's Erik, which means I get another brother and the little one gets another uncle." She moved her brother's hand to her stomach, putting her finger to her lips. "There's your gift from me to you both. Hank and I were going to tell you both before, but I think it's best to tell you while you're at your happiest just to make today that much better." The music started, Raven quickly dabbing the corners of Charles's eyes to rid them of the happy tears that threatened to spill down. "Time to go." Someone opened the doorway to the large sunroom so that Raven could push Charles down the makeshift aisle to Erik. Instead of paying attention to the smiling faces he passed by, Charles focused on his husband-to-be in his sharp grey suit with his magenta and purple tie, and when he finally made it to Erik's side he glanced down at his shoes. Erik smiled and lifted the leg of his slacks just as Charles did the same, showing off his shark socks as their guests laughed on.

"You look amazing." Erik reached for Charles's hands, holding them to warm his already cold fingers.

"You too." Everyone quieted as the ceremony began, their officiator carefully reading through all the required passages as they admired one another. It was going to be a quick ceremony to allow for a long reception following photographs and a quick change into more comfortable clothing for everyone, but the wait to say their "I do"s seemed to go on forever. Charles was ready to just take the ring out of his pocket and put it on Erik's finger and proclaim them married when it finally came, Ororo addressing him first.

"Do you, Charles Xavier, take Erik Lehnsherr to be your lawfully wedded husband in-"

"Yes!" He felt like he could almost stand to hurry and put it on, instead clearing his throat and going red when he heard the giggles from all around them. "I mean, I do."

"And Erik? Do you take Charles to be your husband as well? You seem more patient about it, but I see someone wants to have this done quickly." Ororo was more amused than anything, trying to keep her expression even as Erik knelt to Charles's level.

"I do."

"Well, even though it's certainly not the traditional way of doing this, I think it's best that you both exchange rings at this time." They pushed the rings onto one another's fingers, the bands fitting perfectly. Erik had made sure that they would when he made them, measuring Charles's finger almost every day until they were finished. With the rings finally on, Erik lifted Charles from his chair, awaiting permission to kiss his spouse. "With the powers vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and husband. Go ahead and kiss." They nuzzled noses before kissing to the cheers of family and friends, Charles's hand curling around Erik's tie to keep him close for a moment longer.

"You're stuck with a grey haired grump now," Erik whispered.

"I handled him well enough when he was a ginger grump, I think I'll survive." He held on tightly as Erik carried him inside to the parlor where a photographer waited. "I might not make it through the rest of the night, though. I just want to curl up with my husband and cake for the rest of the night, let everyone else have a party."

"We have to be good hosts, Charles. If you get tired, you can just nap on my lap. I never thought you of all people would want to miss out your wedding reception while I looked forward to it."

"People change with time and circumstance. Some settle down, some become wilder, and then there's us." They settled on the couch, Erik helping Charles situate his legs into a natural looking position before taking his hands again. "I suppose today's just one of those days where I'm nervous something will go wrong later, but then I remember who I'm with and realize that since we've been together those days have been rare." He gazed up at Erik from under his lashes.

"Then here's to us, and may the bad days continue to be rare." Erik lifted Charles's left hand with his own to kiss the back of it as the camera clicked in the background.


End file.
